An official website of the Washington State government
Conservation Scientists
Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands. May instruct farmers, agricultural production managers, or ranchers in best ways to use crop rotation, contour plowing, or terracing to conserve soil and water; in the number and kind of livestock and forage plants best suited to particular ranges; and in range and farm improvements, such as fencing and reservoirs for stock watering.
What a conservation scientist does
Become a conservation scientist
If you enjoy doing these activities, you might make a good conservation scientist
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Reading work related information.
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Discover what you could earn in Washington
- Average hourly rate is $38 per hour with an average salary of $78,000 per year.
- Half of workers earn between $32 and $41 per hour.
- Half of workers earn an annual salary between $66,600 and $84,300 per year.
Conservation Scientist job outlook
- There are 941 workers in this occupation in Washington.
- There are 120 openings per year in this occupation in Washington.